Proper securement of metaphyseal fractures in long bones is critical to ensuring restoration of pain free range of motion and full anatomic function. External fixation, casting and a variety of intra-operative techniques using various surgical implants have been used successfully to treat displaced metaphyseal fractures in long bones. Historically, open reduction and internal fixation, though highly invasive, has been the most successful treatment modality with these types of fractures. Various designs and shapes of metallic plates, pegs, wires and screws have been surgically implanted to stabilize and fix metaphyseal fractures. Examples of these surgical implants include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,623,486, 6,866,665, 6,440,135, 6,364,882, 6,508,819, 6,358,250, 6,893,444, 6,767,351 and 6,712,820.
For a surgeon to be success in performing an open reduction and internal fixation of a metaphyseal fracture, the surgical implant must be designed to: allow for proper anatomical alignment restoration of the long bone, minimize soft-tissue disruption and allow for variable sturdy support of all displaced bone fragments. The prior art inventions do not include all of the necessary design attributes to allow the surgeon to accomplish all of these surgical goals.
Most prior art surgical implants utilize threaded head screws and/or threaded head pegs to secure displaced bone fragments. Implants utilizing this design concept are restricted to pre-set angular orientations for inserted screws and pegs, thereby inhibiting the surgeon from adequately securing loose bone fragments and restoring anatomical alignment. Further, the prior art surgical implants utilizing a threaded head design for screws and pegs does not allow the surgeon to draw or lag the bone fragments close to the implant. Resultant gaps between bone fragments and the implant increase the likelihood of decreased fracture site stabilization and incomplete fracture reduction. Possible post-operative complications resulting from such events include non-unions, malignment and reduced range of motion of the healed appendage. Additionally, the design of many prior art surgical implants may lead to other postoperative complications. The potential for tendonitis, tendon rupture and other soft-tissue impingement complications is increased by incongruent surfaces of an implant including exposed heads of fixation pegs and screws that have been inserted. The invention described herein addresses these and other design shortcomings of the prior art implants and provides the surgeon with the design attributes to allow for successful treatment of metaphyseal fractures in long bones.